


Sealed with a Kiss

by Sivan325, SivanShemesh (Sivan325)



Series: Married With Children [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Army Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Background Relationships, Fluff, Hurt Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, Married Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Tissue Warning, Worried Evan "Buck" Buckley, firefam - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29680140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sivan325/pseuds/Sivan325, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sivan325/pseuds/SivanShemesh
Summary: It started out as a marriage of convenience, but somewhere along the way Buck and Eddie fell in love for real. But when Buck rescues an orphaned baby from a burning building are he and Eddie ready to add another child to their family?
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Married With Children [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180976
Comments: 38
Kudos: 246





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own 9-1-1, I only playing.
> 
> Thank you to - [novemberhush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush) for beta-reading.😇
> 
> \--
> 
> The story was born because of the baby prompt from I'm Your Buddie Discord server.

It started out as a simple agreement between two friends that they would marry each other so Christopher would still have a parent should anything happen to Eddie and he wouldn’t be shipped off back to Texas to be raised by Eddie’s parents. It was to be a marriage in name only, but, in time, something changed. Buck could feel it every time they ended their Skype sessions, finding it harder and harder to say goodbye each time, worrying more and more about what Eddie was going off to face once their call was done.

Buck counted the days until Eddie’s tour would be over and he could return to them. Eddie had sworn to him that this tour would be his last, that after this one they would have enough money saved to allow him to retire from the army as a combat medic. Buck trusted Eddie when he told him it would be his last tour. He knew how much Eddie missed his son.

Buck adjusted to his life in the Diaz home quickly, enjoying spending time with Eddie’s son, Christopher, the boy who filled his heart with joy and love and who he got closer to every day. He was also so glad to have Carla in his life, the home healthcare worker not just a big help looking after Christopher while Buck was on shift with the 118, but a really good friend too.

Buck had fallen hard for the man in their first year of marriage, even though they only saw each over a computer screen for most of it. He missed feeling Eddie’s physical presence next to him, their shoulders brushing together as they walked, their thighs pressed together when they sat close on the sofa. Buck thought about how close he always seemed to sit to Eddie, how he so naturally always seemed to gravitate towards him, and how it should have maybe tipped him off sooner that he liked Eddie as more than just a friend. But he’d figured it out at last. Now he just hoped that Eddie was on the same page as him.

It was coming up on one year since they sealed the deal and got married at the courthouse and Buck couldn’t shake the fear that like all the other good things in his life that this too, his life as Eddie’s husband and Christopher’s stepfather, would come to end all too soon. He didn’t want it to end. He wanted to be more than just Eddie’s husband in name only. He wanted the whole package with him, and Christopher.

One day, while he was on the shift with the 118, he got a call from an unidentified number. He was hesitant to answer it, as they were on their way to a rescue, but a look from his teammates encouraged him to do so. The 118 didn’t know he was married, or that he had changed his last name, so what happened next came as a shock to them all.

“Is this Mr. Evan Diaz?” the voice asked.

“Y… Yes… who is this?” Buck asked.

“I’m with the army welfare office. I’m very sorry to inform you that I’m calling to let you know that your husband, Staff Sergeant Eddie Diaz was wounded...” the voice replied, and Hen, noticing how the colour drained out of Buck’s face right in front of her eyes, reached over and took the phone from him.

“Who is this?” Hen asked.

“Did something happen to Mr. Diaz?” the voice asked back.

“He’s on the verge of passing out right now,” Hen explained. “Can you tell us what happened exactly?” she asked, as Chim tried to cheer up Buck.

“Staff Sergeant Diaz was wounded in combat, that’s all I’m at liberty to say right now. He will be flown to the VA hospital in LA, and he will be discharged from the army with honor. We thank him for his service,” the voice told her.

“When… when will he be flown in? I wanna be there for him,” Buck said, having taken the phone back from Hen.

The voice on the other side told him all the details and then he ended the call.

“Hey, Buck, are you sure you’re all right?” Bobby asked from the passenger seat of the fire truck.

“I will be once Eddie is home safe and resting,” Buck replied.

“When exactly were you going to tell us you were married?” Hen asked, the looks on the others’ faces echoing her question.

“I… we… it was a marriage of convenience, just while he’s in the army, so I can take care of his son, Chris, and make sure he gets all the benefits the army offers married soldiers and their families, especially if anything were to happen to Eddie,” Buck replied.

“I hope you didn’t commit to this fraud just for the money, son,” Bobby said, looking over his shoulder at him.

Buck shook his head fervently, wanting to make the slightly disappointed, disapproving look on Bobby’s face disappear. “It started out as a marriage in name only, but… while he was away, his son and I got really close and I missed him so much, and I realized I didn’t want to be his husband in name only anymore, I wanted it to be for real, but I have no idea if he feels the same,” Buck explained.

“I’m happy for you,” Hen told him with a smile. “It seems you’ve finally found the family you always wanted.”

“Buck Diaz? That sounds good to me. Should I change it with HR as well?” Bobby asked as he turned around again and looked at Buck.

“Once we make it official, once I know for sure it’s what Eddie wants to, then I’ll change it,” Buck replied. “I don’t wanna tempt fate by changing it too soon and then finding out Eddie wants a divorce now he’s out of the army and here to look after Chris himself.”

The team tried to assure him that wouldn’t happen, but then they arrived at the scene and got to work, the subject of Buck’s secret marriage dropped for now.

* * *

The next day Buck drove to the VA hospital where the army said they were bringing Eddie, Carla watching Christopher while he was gone.

As Buck walked through the hospital, trying to find his man, even if it was only in name for now, a nurse asked him if he needed help. When he said he was there for Eddie Diaz, the nurse pointed to a room with the door closed and wished him luck.

Buck wondered why they felt he’d need luck. Eddie could be a little gruff sometimes, sure, but he was always soft and caring underneath it all. As he opened the door and noticed the situation in front of him, though, he realized what the nurse had meant. It wasn’t Eddie’s mood they were wishing him luck with, it was taking in the sight of his injuries.

Eddie’s torso was bandaged, one of his legs was in a cast, as was one of his hands, and he had cuts and bruises all over. He looked rough, but still handsome, always handsome, to Buck’s eyes.

“Eddie, hi,” Buck said quietly, seating himself in the chair beside the bed.

“Buck, I didn’t know if you’d come,” Eddie said, sounding sad and alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to - [novemberhush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush) for beta-reading.😇

“Of course, I came. You’re my husband, in case you forgot,” Buck reminded him, getting that special thrill he always got at calling Eddie his ‘husband’.

“Only in name, right?” Eddie asked as he turned his head from Buck, seemingly dejected at the thought their marriage was only for show.

“I think there’s more to it than that for me, Eddie,” Buck replied, wishing he could see Eddie’s face to gauge his reaction.

“Really?” Eddie said, head snapping around so quickly to look at him that Buck had to wonder if it hurt.

“Really. I’ve completely fallen for your boy, and I missed you like hell when you were away. I worried about you all the time and could hardly wait for you to come home. My crew at the firehouse know all about us and want to meet you and Chris so bad,” Buck replied, excitement clear in his voice.

“Maybe when I get better we should, ah, we should renew our vows,” Eddie suggested.

“I would love that,” Buck told him softly as he reached his hand out to take hold of Eddie’s unharmed one.

“Tell me about your work, I’d like to hear about it,” Eddie said.

Buck enjoyed telling him everything about the 118, about some of the more memorable rescues he had worked with his teammates, but most of all Buck enjoyed the smile the stories put on Eddie's face.

“I’m happy you were surrounded by people who care for you while I was away,” Eddie told him.

“Wait until they meet you, Eddie,” Buck said, bouncing in his seat like an excited puppy. “They’re gonna love you.”

“All in due time, Buck,” Eddie smiled.

“When are you due to check out of this place?” Buck asked, squeezing his hand.

“I don’t know, can you ask for me?” Eddie asked, squeezing Buck’s hand in return.

“I will. And I’ll see you tomorrow, after my shift?” Buck asked.

“I’ll still be here,” Eddie replied.

Buck rose from the chair and leaned in to kiss Eddie on the cheek before leaving the room with a smile on his face.

Stopping for a quick word at the nurses’ station about when Eddie was likely to be discharged (and briefly sticking his head back round Eddie’s door to inform him of what he’d learned), he headed home to see Chris and Carla before getting ready for his shift.

“Buck, how’s Dad? When will he be home?” Chris asked as he launched himself at Buck as soon as he stepped in the door.

“Whoa, easy, buddy! We don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he cautioned, swinging the boy up into his arms for a hug. “Your dad will be home in two days. He’ll need both of us to help him for a bit, until he can walk on both legs and use both hands. But until then you can help cheer him up by drawing on his casts,” Buck replied, hugging the boy tighter.

“You boys talk?” Carla asked in a low voice as Buck set Chris down again.

“We did, and we’re both on the same page,” Buck grinned, still feeling giddy from that revelation.

“Finally!” Carla grinned back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to - [novemberhush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush) for beta-reading.😇

Two days later, Buck collected Eddie from the hospital and brought him home at last.

“Are you working today, Buck?” Eddie asked as he settled his leg with the cast over Buck’s lap and lay back on the sofa.

“No, Bobby gave me the day off. He knew that there was someone special who needed me at home,” Buck replied with a smile.

Eddie gave him one of those looks he seemed to reserve for only Buck and Christopher, one full of awe and love, his eyes shining.

Buck looked back at him with what he knew was love in his own eyes, his whole face glowing with it.

* * *

Buck took care of his husband every day in every way, be it helping him in the shower, getting dressed, cooking for him or helping Christopher clamber up into his lap in a way that ensured he didn’t jostle Eddie’s bad leg or aggravate his hand or shoulder injury. He also gave him soft kisses at every opportunity. He couldn’t wait until Eddie was all healed up so maybe they could do a little more than just kiss.

Buck had fallen hard for him, and knowing that Eddie returned his feelings, combined with the love he felt for Christopher, made him feel whole in a way he never had before. It was scary at times because now he had something to lose, but mostly Buck just tried to enjoy his perfect family.

“I have a shift soon, behave!” Buck said to Eddie as he playfully smacked away his husband’s wandering hands and noticed the mischief in his face.

“I’ll try, but the house is too quiet without you and Chris,” Eddie told him.

“You need to rest, Eddie, you know that,” Buck advised.

“I know that, but… now I’ve got my discharge from the army and I’m no longer a combat medic, what should I do next?” Eddie asked.

“We’ll think of something, don’t worry. We have all the time in the world,” Buck replied with a smile as he gave his husband one last kiss before he left for work.

* * *

When he arrived at work his teammates immediately bombarded him with questions about his husband's health to which he provided answers, all the while hoping Eddie would survive a day alone in the house, with Chris at school and Carla having the day off.

A few minutes into the shift the alarm sounded and they hurried to the trucks, the thrill of the job sending adrenaline through Buck’s veins. The thought struck him that maybe he should suggest the idea of becoming a firefighter to Eddie. He knew of course that the decision would be Eddie’s to make, but he didn’t see any harm in raising the possibility with his husband.

“Buck, what’s got you thinking so hard over there?” Hen asked.

“Eddie asked me what he should do next, now his honorable discharge from the army has come through. I told him we would cross that bridge when he was fit enough to work, but I just had the thought that maybe I should suggest he becomes a firefighter like me, if he wants to,” Buck replied.

“How much longer does he have to wear the cast on his leg?” Chim asked.

“Less than a month, I think,” Buck replied. “He’s already got the one on his hand off.”

“Okay,” Bobby’s voice sounded. “We’re here, so work now, talk later,” he ordered as they pulled up to the scene.

They were greeted by the sight of a burning house, the neighbors all outside and being held back by the police. Bobby instructed Buck and Hen to do a walk through inside the house, while the others tried to douse the flames.

Buck found two bodies, a man and a woman, in one of the bedrooms, checking for a pulse just in case but knowing in his heart that it was too late, they were already gone. Radioing Bobby to tell him what he found he continued his sweep of the upstairs rooms, Hen coming up to join after clearing what she could of the downstairs. Buck was about to point out which rooms he hadn’t swept yet so they could divide them up when he stopped in his tracks, sure he’d heard the sound of a baby crying over the roar of the flames.

“Why did you stop?” Hen asked as she almost bumped into him.

“Don’t you hear that?” Buck asked as he tried to figure out where the sound was coming from.

“Hear what?” Hen said, obviously having missed the noise.

“It’s a baby! There’s a baby in here! We need to find it!” Buck shouted, rushing to the nearest room, then the next, then the next, until he found the baby.

Lifting it gently out of its crib he headed back to the landing, cradling the baby in his hands as Hen sighed in relief and followed him downstairs and outside.

“What’d you find?” Bobby asked.

“This cute baby,” Buck replied, smiling down at the small bundle in his arms.

Hen added, “The baby was the only one left alive in the house.”

“You think there was any foul play involved?” Athena asked as she came toward them.

“Could be,” Buck replied. “It looked like murder/suicide to me, like the husband killed the wife, set fire to the house and then killed himself. I guess maybe he couldn’t bring himself to kill the baby and hoped the smoke or flames would do the job for him.”

Athena was about to say something when Buck steamrollered on. “Although maybe someone just wanted it to look that way… You should totally look into the victims’ backgrounds, Athena! Check if they’d made any enemies, owed money to anyone shady, if either of them were having an affair or had links to organized crime, that kind of thing!”

“Okay, thanks for the advice there, Firefighter Buckley, but I’m the one wearing the LAPD uniform. You stick to putting out fires and rescuing cats from trees and I’ll handle the crime fighting and solving, deal?” Athena chastised, but no one missed the fond way she looked at the 118’s youngest firefighter.

“Deal,” Buck agreed with a sheepish smile, already planning to discuss all the theories of how the crime might have gone down with Eddie when he got home.

Bobby had watched the interaction between his wife and Buck with amusement, but now he was looking at Buck and the way he was holding the baby like it was the most precious thing in the world to him with interest. Noticing a woman Athena had identified as a social worker from Child Services being escorted over to them by another police officer, he nudged Buck lightly with his elbow.

“Buck, give the baby to the lady,” Bobby told him.

“Can I come and see him later?” Buck asked the woman as he reluctantly handed over the baby. “And maybe… maybe ask about adopting him?”

“Well, we’ll have to see if there are any family members willing to take him in first. And even if there aren’t, you’d still need to be approved for adoption, pass a background check, financial check, home visit, and so on, before you could adopt him. But it’s not impossible, Mr…?”

“Diaz! Buck Diaz! My husband and I would love to adopt this baby,” Buck replied. “And… and we’d take such good care of him, I promise! We already have one son, Christopher, and he’s the happiest, most loved child you could ever meet! I promise we’d love this baby the same way!”

“Okay, well, I know where you work,” the woman replied, nodding to the ‘118’ emblazoned on the side of the fire truck. “I’ll contact you if we can’t find a suitable family member willing to take him in,” the woman told him with a smile.

When the woman left with the baby, Buck looked longingly after him.

Bobby reached his hand out and squeezed Buck’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“I will be once I know the baby’s going to be okay,” Buck answered.

“Do you think your husband will be okay with the idea of having another baby?” Hen asked.

“What do you mean ‘another baby’?’” Buck asked. ‘Christopher isn’t a baby anymore.”

“I was talking about you, Buck. You have the cutest little baby face,” Hen cooed, pinching his cheek gleefully and earning a swat from Buck for her trouble. “Do you think this mysterious Eddie of yours can handle another one around the house?” she asked, a megawatt grin on her face.

“Eddie can handle anything and everything. Besides, did you see the baby? Did you see how super adorable he was? That baby could melt anyone’s heart,” Buck replied, seemingly awestruck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to - [novemberhush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush) for beta-reading.😇

When they arrived back at the 118, Buck was surprised to find Eddie waiting for him, supporting himself on a pair of crutches.

“Eddie, what are you doing here? How did you get here?” Buck asked as he jumped from the truck and dashed over to his husband.

“I got bored in the house. It was far too quiet. So I decided to come see you and meet this team of yours you’re always talking about,” Eddie replied as he leaned in to kiss his husband.

“How did you get here?” Buck asked, worried.

“I found a way, don’t worry about that. And I informed Tia Pepa, so she won’t worry something’s happened to me when she picks Christopher up from school and takes him back to the house and I’m not there,” Eddie replied.

Buck felt someone punch his arm and turned to find Chim, Hen and Bobby all looking at him.

“What?” Buck asked them.

“Introduce us maybe?” Hen said, gesturing between the three of them and Eddie.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Buck ducked his head with a blush, ignoring the good-natured chuckles of his team as he introduced them to his husband.

“Nice to meet you all,” Eddie greeted them all sincerely before turning to Buck and asking, “Can I speak to you for a moment, in private?”

“Of course,” Buck replied, leading Eddie over to a quieter, more private spot. “I’ll be with you shortly,” he told his teammates over his shoulder, trying not to worry about what Eddie might want to talk to him in private about.

“Is there something wrong, Eddie?” Buck asked as he watched his husband with concern.

“No, there’s nothing wrong. I just… I want to make us official, if you want that too. I don’t mean like when we went to the courthouse and played pretend. I want to arrange a wedding in front of our closest friends and family, one where we say the vows and know they’re for real,” Eddie said softly, reaching up to kiss him gently on the lips.

“I want that too, Eddie! So much!” Buck beamed. “And… and I asked about adopting a baby I saved from a burning building this morning! I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first, but if you saw him you’d understand! He’s just the sweetest thing and I love him already and I just want to make sure he has a home and people who love him, and Chris will make such a great big brother, and I just… I just...” Buck’s ramble trailed off, leaving only a pleading expression on his face.

“You got attached to a baby you just met this morning? Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Eddie shook his head fondly at his husband.

“You don’t mind?” Buck asked, caught by surprise.

“Mind what? Adding another baby to the family? I don’t mind,” Eddie replied with a grin, balancing on his one good leg long enough to reach up and pinch Buck’s cheek like Hen had earlier.

“Not you too!” Buck groaned.

“What do you mean?” Eddie asked.

“Hen told me the same thing,” Buck replied petulantly, pouting in such a way that Eddie couldn’t help laughing.

“Hey, it’s not funny!” Buck punched him lightly on the arm.

Eddie continued laughing and joked, “Hey, I’m still injured…”

“That wasn’t funny.”

“It was. You have the sweetest little baby face in the world, except for Christopher. Why wouldn’t I want another baby? Especially if he’s as cute as the two I already have. And at least if I’m around there’ll be one responsible adult in the family,” Eddie teased, but Buck could see the glistening shine of tears in his beautiful amber eyes.

“Hey… I’m an adult too!” Buck pouted before he kissed his husband, his cheeks still red from the way Eddie had complimented him on his baby face.

“I know, I know… I was just kidding with you, Buck,” Eddie smiled before asking, “So, when do we hear about the baby?”

“The social worker in charge of his case knows where I work so she’ll keep me updated,” Buck replied before taking in that Eddie was starting to struggle with the crutches, even though he was standing still. Figuring he was most likely both tired and hungry and would probably appreciate a hot meal and a seat Buck asked him, “Have you eaten anything since I made you breakfast this morning? Would you like to come and join us for lunch?”

“I grabbed a little something on the way here, but I could definitely eat again and I’d love to sit next to you and get to know your team better,” Eddie replied.

“I don’t mind if you sit here all day until my shift’s over as long as I get to be the one to take you home with me,” Buck whispered seductively, batting his eyelashes at him flirtatiously.

“Food first, home later,” Eddie reminded him.

“Yeah, you’re right. Let me just help you up the stairs first and then we’ll see what’s on the menu today,” Buck said as he helped him to climb the stairs, leaving his crutches leaning on the rail.

“You have a chef here?” Eddie asked as he hobbled up the stairs with Buck’s help.

“Bobby, our captain, is also a great cook and is always making food for us,” Buck replied, helping Eddie to a seat at one of the kitchen tables before claiming the chair next to him for himself.

“You’re a great cook too, you know,” Eddie said, looking lovingly at Buck.

“Oh, would you look at that?” Hen whispered to Bobby and Chim, having to hold herself back from running over and hugging Eddie for giving Buck the family he always wanted.

“They’re sweet together,” Chim agreed, as Bobby just smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to - [novemberhush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush) for beta-reading.😇

It soon became clear that the baby had no family members willing or able to take him in, the only relatives who could be traced being a few distant cousins of the late parents, so Buck and Eddie began the process of being approved to adopt. A few weeks after Buck had first carried the baby from the burning house he received a visit from the social worker in charge of the baby’s welfare, who turned up at the 118 firehouse unannounced, the baby with her.

“Mrs. Mills, what’s going on? Why are you here? Is the... the baby okay?” Buck asked in a panic as she simply shook her head and handed him the baby with a smile.

“No, Mr. Diaz, he’s fine, just fine,” she assured him. “But the foster family he was staying with took in another two kids who needed an emergency placement and, with the kids they already had in their care, the baby was just too much. Too much disruption isn’t good for him so I figured since you and your husband are almost all clear to adopt that you might like to foster him until the adoption goes through.”

“Really?” Buck beamed.

“Really,” she smiled back. “You can even pick a name for him if you’d like. Apparently his birth parents hadn’t decided on one before they died so we’ve just been calling him Buck Jr., after you, since you were the one who found him and saved him.”

“Buck Jr., I like the sound of that,” Buck said, his smile growing impossibly wider before he looked round and noticed his team had all gathered nearby.

“Bobby, can I…” Buck started to ask, but Bobby didn’t let him finish, just urging him to go.

Hen piped up then. “Isn’t today the day that husband of yours gets his leg cast off? Maybe you could go with him to the hospital? But before you go I could give the baby a quick check-up if you want?”

“Oh, that would be great, thanks, Hen!” he said, handing her the baby carefully. “And you’re right, today’s the day Eddie’s cast comes off. I’d love to drive him there, but I’ve no car seat for the baby, and I don’t want to harm him,” Buck replied.

“I can hold him while you drive to the hospital,” Eddie’s voice sounded, causing Buck to jump in shock at the unexpected noise, as he appeared from around one of the trucks, still using his crutches as he walked over to his husband.

“We really should talk about you showing up here unannounced,” Buck said, clutching his chest to indicate his shock and racing heart. “Please tell me you got a cab and didn’t walk all the way here.”

“I used a portal, it was the only thing available,” Eddie replied sarcastically with a smirk. Buck just rolled his eyes so Eddie explained, “I came here because the hospital called and asked if I could come in earlier than I was supposed to so they can remove the cast. I thought I’d come and check if there was any way you could come with me. I guess I came at a good time. I can hold the baby while you drive there.”

“All in due time, Eddie. We should get going soon, though. We need to go shopping to get everything for this baby boy of ours,” Buck told him.

“What about your shift?” Eddie asked as he looked over at Buck’s teammates.

“Don’t worry about that,” Bobby replied. “Buck can make it up when you’re back on your feet and the baby’s settled. I’m sure he’ll be excited to tell us all the news and hopefully you’ll have picked a name for the baby by then as well.”

“Oh, so it’s okay, it’s settled, that’s good. Thank you, Captain Nash,” Eddie said.

“Please, call me Bobby,” Bobby told him at the same time as Hen came over from where she’d been examining the baby.

“He’s all good. Perfect, in fact,” she smiled as gave him back to Buck.

“Yeah. Yeah, he really is,” Buck murmured, looking down adoringly at the little boy in his arms. “Thanks, Hen.”

“No problem,” she replied.

Eddie spoke up again then. “Come on, Buck, we can stop to buy everything we need for the baby on the way back and talk about a name for him when we get home,” he urged his husband, clearly tired of having to rely on the crutches and missing walking on both legs.

Once they’d finished at the hospital, Buck holding the baby in one arm while googling the best car seats for babies on his phone with the other while Eddie was in getting his cast off, they went and bought a car seat for their baby boy. Having installed it in the parking lot outside the store where they bought it, Eddie watched as Buck got the baby settled in it. His soft smile told Buck he could see why Buck had got attached to him so quickly. The baby really was so sweet, so cute.

“We’re home,” Buck announced as he pulled up to their home not too long after. Gently unbuckling the baby from his car seat and carrying him into the house, he watched his husband closely to make sure his leg wasn’t causing him any trouble. Eddie’s physiotherapist had given him some exercises to do at home and Buck was determined to help his husband get back to full health and fitness.

“Daddy, you’re home!” Chris yelled as Carla watched them with a proud smile on her face.

“That’s right, buddy,” Buck said to Chris, voice warm with love as he placed the new baby in his husband’s arms.

“You brought the baby?” Chris gasped as he came closer to stare at the baby. “I thought we weren’t getting him for a while yet.”

“I know, we thought so too, Chris, but there was a change of plans. This is the baby we were talking about when we asked if you’d be okay with us adding another child to the family. This is your little brother,” Eddie replied, eyes glistening with unshed tears at the look of wonder on Christopher’s face.

Buck added with a smile, “You’re going to be such a good big brother.”

“But first we need to give him a name. Any suggestions?” Eddie asked, already regretting asking as he saw the way Buck’s eyes lit up at the question and remembered some of the names he’d heard Buck running past Chim and Maddie.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Buck asked. “Child services and his foster family have been calling him Buck Jr. for weeks now. We don’t want to confuse the little guy, do we? So I say we stick with Baby Buck!”

Eddie rolled his eyes at the grin on Buck’s face, one which could probably be seen from outer space, but there was no malice in the gesture.

“Uh-huh, sure, we don’t want to confuse him, that’s the only reason you want to call him Buck,” he teased.

When Buck just smiled even wider at him, Eddie motioned to his son.

“Christopher, as big brother you get to give him a middle name. Got anything in mind?”

Christopher beamed with excitement at the thought of his daddies allowing him to help name his little brother.

“Christopher! I want to call him Christopher!” he replied.

“Of course you do,” Eddie chuckled. “I get the feeling I’ll be calling him Jr. more than his actual name,” he said fondly as he looked at the baby boy in his arms. “Welcome to the family, Buck Christopher Diaz Jr.”

Buck leaned in to kiss his husband, hardly able to wait for them to take care of the baby together. His already perfect family was now even more perfect. Buck could feel his heart swell with pride, joy and mostly with love.

His reverie was cut short, though, when Carla walked over to them and sniffed the air with a pointed look.

“Did you buy any diapers for Buck Jr. here?” she asked, nodding her head towards the baby boy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to - [novemberhush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush) for beta-reading.😇

“I knew we forgot to buy something!” Buck replied.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll go do some shopping,” Carla said, stepping up and taking charge of the situation. “I’ll take Eddie with me, it’ll be good exercise for him and I have a little surprise for you all that I need to pick up and he can help me carry it. Actually, it’d probably be easier if we could take your truck to transport it, if you don’t mind, sugar.”

“Of course I don’t mind, Carla, but you didn’t have to get us anything. You do enough for us as it is,” Eddie protested, Buck nodding his head in agreement.

“Nonsense. Besides, I hope you don’t mind, but I got it secondhand from a friend of mine who doesn’t need it now her little one ain’t so little anymore. She let me have it at a bargain price, so don’t worry about the cost, and don’t worry about what shape it’s in either because it’s in great condition.”

“Secondhand is fine,” said Eddie, “but I really can’t think what else we need that we haven’t already got. Other than the diapers, of course.”

“Okay, I’ll give you a hint. Where exactly were you planning on having the baby sleep?” she asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Well, in the crib, of course,” Eddie said, looking around in confusion when he heard Buck swear under his breath, causing Christopher to erupt into giggles.

“What?? What is it?” Eddie asked.

“Damn it, we forgot to get a crib!” Buck groaned. “No diapers, no crib, what kind of lousy excuse for a father am I?”

“Now, none of that, Buckaroo. I’ve got you covered with the crib and your good husband here and I will soon have the diaper situation remedied too. And in the meantime we can go old school with our boy here.”

With that, she asked Buck to find an old hand towel they didn’t mind being put to another use and a couple of safety pins. Soon she’d shown them all how to clean the baby properly before demonstrating how to make a makeshift cloth diaper out of the old towel, neatly secured with the safety pins.

“There!” she declared. “That should hold him until we get back with the diapers, Buckaroo.”

“Thanks, Carla,” Buck said, somewhat in awe of the woman before him. “You’re the best.”

“You really are,” Eddie agreed.

“I’m just an old hand at raising babies, that’s all,” she demurred. “Now, what do you say you and I hit the road, Eddie?”

“Do you think it’s wise to leave them alone with the baby?” Eddie whispered to her, but still loud enough to hear if the matching offended looks on both Buck and Christopher’s faces were anything to go by.

“They’ll survive,” Carla said drily. “Now, come along, we gotta pick up this crib from my friend’s house and get this little man some diapers, unless you wanna go through every towel you have in the house. And when we get back I’ll give you guys a crash course on how to put on a disposable diaper and guide you through sterilizing the baby’s bottles and when to feed him and how much, and so on and so on, because you boys seem a little clueless. But don’t worry, I’ll soon whip you into shape.”

Eddie reluctantly gave the baby to Buck as he went to quickly freshen up and change his clothes now his cast was off and then he was ready to follow Carla outside.

Before she opened the front door, however, Carla turned to them both and said, “I’m really proud of you boys, you know that, right? I’m proud of the way you stepped up to make sure this baby boy had people to love him and take care of him and give him a home. Give him a family. That’s what you two - sorry, you three,” she corrected herself sending Christopher a soft smile, “have done. You’ve given this child a family, a good one, and I’m really proud of you for that.”

“Thanks, Carla,” all three Diaz boys replied in unison, happy, grateful smiles stretched across each of their faces.

In Buck’s arms, Buck Jr. snuffled contentedly, safe and sound and surrounded by people who loved him, surrounded by family.

The End!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, there will be more parts to add to this series.
> 
> 💝💜💚


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